Vow of silence

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A vow of silence is a vow taken to avoid the use of speech. Although the concept is commonly associated with monasticism, no religious order takes such a vow, and even the most austere monastic orders such as the Carthusians have times in their schedule for talking.

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In monasteries of the Western Christian tradition, the so-called "Great Silence" is the time during the night hours – usually after Compline until after the first canonical hours in the next morning – wherein speaking is more strictly prohibited. [1]

Recently, the vow of silence has been embraced by some in secular society as means of protest or of deepening their spirituality. Silence is often seen as essential to deepening a relationship with God. [2] It is also considered a virtue in some religions. [3]

Examples

Religious examples

Despite the common misconception, members religious orders do not take a vow of silence. However, most monasteries have specific times and places (church, refectory, dormitory etc.) wherein speaking is more strictly prohibited. Outside some places and times there are usually accorded "recreations" during which conversation is permitted. [4]

In the Indian religions, religious silence is called Mauna and the name for a sage muni (see, for example Sakyamuni) literally means "silent one". [5] In Buddhism, it is also explicitly stated that "one does not become a sage simply because of a vow of silence" due to the prescription for disciples to also teach the Buddhist doctrine. [6] The vow of silence is also relevant in the training of novices and is often cited as a way to resist the allures of samsara, including those posed by the opposite sex. [7] Buddhist monks who take a vow of silence often carry an iron staff called khakkhara , which makes a metallic noise to frighten away animals. Since they cannot speak, the rattle of the staff also announces their arrival when they start begging for alms. [8]

Mahatma Gandhi observed one day of silence a week, every Monday, and would not break this discipline for any reason. [9]

Non-religious examples

Additionally, a vow of silence can be made to express a bold statement. This type may be to make a statement about issues such as child poverty. An example of this is the November 30th Vow of Silence for Free The Children, in which students in Canada take a 24-hour vow of silence to protest against poverty and child labour. [10]

In the United States, the Day of Silence is the GLSEN’s annual day of action to spread awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) students. Participating students take a day-long vow of silence to symbolically represent the silencing of LGBTQ students. [11] [12]

A more ancient example of a non-religious vow of silence is Pythagoras, who allegedly imposed a strict rule of silence on his disciples. [13]

In pop culture

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carthusians</span> Catholic Church religious order founded in 1084

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Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices, and views.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Day of Silence</span> International day to spread awareness of LGBT people

Day of Silence is an annual day of action organized by GLSEN to spread awareness about the effects of the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) students. In the United States, students take a day-long vow of silence to symbolically represent the silencing of LGBTQ students.

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In Buddhism, the eight precepts is a list of precepts that are observed by lay Buddhists on observance days and festivals. They include general precepts such as refraining from killing, but also more specific ones, such as abstaining from cosmetics and entertainments. This tradition of keeping the eight precepts on observance days are still widely practice in all Theravadin Buddhist countries and Theravadin Buddhist communities worldwide. Based on pre-Buddhist sāmaṇa practices, the eight precepts are often upheld on the Buddhist observance days, and in such context called the uposatha vows or one-day precepts. They are considered to support meditation practice, and are often observed when staying in monasteries and temples. In some periods and places the precepts were widely observed, such as in 7th–10th-century China by government officials. In modern times, there have been revival movements and important political figures that have observed them continuously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enclosed religious orders</span> Christian religious orders separated from the external world

Enclosed religious orders are religious orders whose members strictly separate themselves from the affairs of the external world. The term cloistered is synonymous with enclosed. In the Catholic Church, enclosure is regulated by the code of canon law, either the Latin code or the Oriental code, and also by the constitutions of the specific order. It is practised with a variety of customs according to the nature and charism of the community in question. This separation may involve physical barriers such as walls and grilles, with entry restricted for other people and certain areas exclusively permitted to the members of the convent. Outsiders may only temporarily enter this area under certain conditions. The intended purpose for such enclosure is to prevent distraction from prayer and the religious life and to keep an atmosphere of silence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Think Before You Speak (campaign)</span> LGBT support campaign

The Think Before You Speak campaign is a television, radio, and magazine advertising campaign launched in 2008 and developed to raise awareness of the common use of derogatory vocabulary among youth towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ) people. It also aims to "raise awareness about the prevalence and consequences of anti-LGBTQ bias and behaviour in America's schools." As LGBTQ people have become more accepted in the mainstream culture, more studies have confirmed that they are one of the most targeted groups for harassment and bullying. An "analysis of 14 years of hate crime data" by the FBI found that gays and lesbians, or those perceived to be gay, "are far more likely to be victims of a violent hate crime than any other minority group in the United States". "As Americans become more accepting of LGBT people, the most extreme elements of the anti-gay movement are digging in their heels and continuing to defame gays and lesbians with falsehoods that grow more incendiary by the day," said Mark Potok, editor of the Intelligence Report. "The leaders of this movement may deny it, but it seems clear that their demonization of gays and lesbians plays a role in fomenting the violence, hatred and bullying we're seeing." Because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, nearly half of LGBTQ students have been physically assaulted at school. The campaign takes positive steps to counteract hateful and anti-gay speech that LGBTQ students experience in their daily lives in hopes to de-escalate the cycle of hate speech/harassment/bullying/physical threats and violence.

In the Buddha's first discourse, he identifies craving (tanha) as the cause of suffering (dukkha). He then identifies three objects of craving: the craving for existence; the craving for non-existence and the craving for sense pleasures (kama). Kama is identified as one of five hindrances to the attainment of jhana according to the Buddha's teaching. Throughout the Sutta Pitaka the Buddha often compares sexual pleasure to arrows or darts. So in the Kama Sutta (4.1) from the Sutta Nipata the Buddha explains that craving sexual pleasure is a cause of suffering.

If one, longing for sensual pleasure, achieves it, yes, he's enraptured at heart. The mortal gets what he wants. But if for that person — longing, desiring — the pleasures diminish, he's shattered, as if shot with an arrow.

In the United States, the Day of Dialogue is the Christian fundamentalist group Focus on the Family's annual event to oppose LGBTQ rights. It was founded by the Alliance Defense Fund in 2005 to oppose the Day of Silence, an annual day of protest against the harassment and bullying of LGBTQ students that was organized by Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network. Since 2018 the Day of Dialogue is not marked on a single date or organized nationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monastic silence</span>

Monastic silence is a spiritual practice recommended in a variety of religious traditions for purposes including becoming closer to God and achieving elevated states of spiritual purity. It may be in accordance with a monk's formal vow of silence, but can also engage laity who have not taken vows, or novices who are preparing to take vows.

References

  1. ↑ E. Obrecht, Silence, in The Catholic Encyclopedia, New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13790a.htm
  2. ↑ Sarah, Robert Cardinal (2017). The Power of Silence:Against the Dictatorship of Noise. Ignatius Press. ISBN   978-1621641919.
  3. ↑ Macadam, Heather (2002). The Weeping Buddha . New York: Akashic Books. pp.  99. ISBN   1888451394.
  4. ↑ Catholic Encyclopedia
  5. ↑ Bhalla, Prem P. (2006). Hindu Rites, Rituals, Customs and Traditions. Pustak Mahal. pp. 172–. ISBN   978-81-223-0902-7.
  6. ↑ Wijayaratna, Mohan (1990). Buddhist Monastic Life: According to the Texts of the Theravada Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 133. ISBN   0521364280.
  7. ↑ Suh, Sharon (2015). Silver Screen Buddha: Buddhism in Asian and Western Film. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. p. 168. ISBN   9781441189257.
  8. ↑ Beer, Robert (2003). The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols. Chicago: Serindia. p. 184. ISBN   1932476032.
  9. ↑ "The day of a silence | GANDHIJI".
  10. ↑ "Twenty-eight students take 24-hour vow of silence". St. Albert Gazette . 2010-11-24. Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  11. ↑ "Join Us for Day of (No) Silence on April 12, 2024 and Support LGBTQ+ Students!". GLSEN. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  12. ↑ Duster, Chandelis (2024-04-12). "After decades of silent protest, students speak out for LGBTQ rights on the annual 'Day of (NO) Silence'". CNN. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  13. ↑ Cornelli, Gabriele; McKirahan, Richard (2013). In Search of Pythagoreanism: Pythagoreanism as an Historiographical Category. Berlin, Germany: Walter de Gruyter. ISBN   978-3-11-030650-7.
  14. ↑ Hawker, Tom (20 July 2014). "The 25 Funniest Monty Python Movie Moments". IGN. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  15. ↑ Brody, Richard (2017-09-14). "Cockfighter". The New Yorker . Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  16. ↑ MacLaren, Marilyn (2022-05-19). "'Little Miss Sunshine' examines dysfunctional family dynamics". The Daily Illini . Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  17. ↑ Betts, Eric (2021-08-30). "The Real Reason Manny Jacinto Loved Playing Jason On The Good Place". Looper . Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  18. ↑ Evans, Bradford (2011-08-08). "Curb Your Enthusiasm Recap: "Vow of Silence"". Vulture . Retrieved 2024-04-28.

Bibliography

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